Some Memories Never Fade
by Cumor
Summary: When Carlisle worries that he was overly harsh while punishing Jasper, the penitent ends up recalling an incident from his human childhood. In a rare moment of complete open trust, Jasper shares a bit of his history as he tries to console his disciplinarian. Warning: Contains flashback of corporal punishment. If you find this offensive, please don't read.
1. Jasper Remembers

**Warning: **Contains discussion and flashback of disciplinary spanking of a preteen. If you do not find this acceptable please move along. Thanks.

**Disclaimer:** All the wonderful Twilight characters that you recognize are property of Stephenie Meyer. I am very grateful that she is kind enough to loan them to us. I promise no loss of limbs or life though pain and angst are a given. Unfamiliar characters are mine, though I'm always willing to share. ;-)

**AN:** This story is a special request by Jasper1863Hale that was sparked by a woodshed comment from Jasper. I hope it lives up to expectations. This was going to be a one shot, but the flashback made me run it into a two or so shot.

Y'all will get to meet Jasper's biological daddy in this one. I don't know how others see him, but I feel that Jasper had a pretty decent childhood and was loved by his parents. That doesn't mean that Monroe Whitlock is going to be the kind to cuddle him after punishment like Carlisle. I believe Monroe is more of a cause and effect kinda guy. Jazz screwed up, Monroe takes him to task, and then he expects Jasper to get over it on his own. Hope that is accepted with y'all.

* * *

Returning from work, Carlisle was greeted by the happy sight of his children gathered in the living room listening to some music channel on the television while they played a game involving drawing and a great deal of guessing. _Probably Alice's doing._ Even his beloved Esme seemed to have joined in the fun as evident in Emmett teasing his mother about her deciphering abilities.

"Come on, Momma. You really can't figure that out? It's easy. Look at it. What is it?"

"I believe that's what we're all trying to figure out, Emmy," Rosalie commented as she squinted at the scribbled lines on the easel sized pad of paper.

"Babe, don't tell me that you don't know what that it is." Em whined as he scribbled more colored squiggles over his original drawing. "What does it look like?"

"It looks like a mess, that's what," Edward sniped as he smirked at his bear of a brother.

"Eddie, you already know what it is. How can you not see it?"

"I see it, Em, I just can't believe what I'm seeing. Which is why I'm happy to be banned from this game. Believe me; knowing what you are trying to draw makes this so much worse than it should be."

"Well it's covered in red and yellow streamers...," Alice contributed quietly.

Emmett gave his sister a dumbfounded look. "Those aren't streamers. Oh for crying out loud." He threw his hands up in the air before another idea hit him. Quickly he scribbled a narrow vertical rectangle with a bump near the bottom and a blob of red and yellow emanating from the top. "What's that? It's not streamers now, is it? See?" He poked at the colored blob with his pen.

Carlisle grinned at the befuddled expressions on his family's face. While they were all clearly in awe of his son's artistic abilities, it warmed the patriarch's still heart to see them relaxed and enjoying each other's company. _This is how a family should be. It's all that I ever wanted and so much more._

Clearing his throat to get their attentions he nodded at the drawing. "I'm not sure about that first part, Em, but I would guess the second picture is a candle flame."

"YES! Fire! See, Pops figured it out."

Esme looked at her mate and held her hand palms up while amused confusion shown in her bright amber eyes. "How did you get a candle out of ..." She shifted her gaze back towards the drawing. "...out of that?"

Carlisle smiled. "Lucky guess."

Emmett clapped his hands together then wrung them as his excitement bubbled forth. "Alright, guys, we have fire. Oh wait. Hold on." He grabbed up the marker and wrote the word FIRE in bold red letters across the top of the page. "Okay, now what's this?" He pointed to the black outline beneath the colorful scribbling.

Edward pinched the bridge of his nose as he looked away from the train wreck that was Emmett's drawing.

"I... I have no idea, Emmy," Alice shook her head while trying to keep her mind somewhat unfocused.

"You all have them. It's not that hard."

"I hate to be the one to say it, Lovebug, but I don't have anything that looks like that," Rose responded while cocking her head to the side hoping that seeing it from a different angle would help the drawing make sense.

"Yes you do, Babe. You WEAR them all the time."

"Are those... oh, Emmy that can't be... are those supposed to be... Oh my God... it's pants." Alice stared blankly at the fashion faux pas drawn by her brother.

"I've got it," Esme called out with glee. "Hot pants!"

Emmett's mouth fell open as he gazed at his mother while Alice and Rosalie turned to her in equal shock.

Esme blinked at their reactions. "What? It's a pair of pants on fire. Doesn't it make sense?"

"Oh GOD! I can't take any more! It's a firefly!" Edward yelled as he covered his eyes to try to block out the vision.

"Oh now wait just a minute. How in the hell is someone supposed to get firefly out of that?" Rose was on the edge of her seat staring intently at the strange inky mess that her mate seemed so very proud of.

"Babe." Emmett gave her his most serious expression as he lowered his voice. "How can you not see it now? See the fire? Where is the fire coming from? The fly. ... Duh. Fire... FLY. I can't believe you all couldn't get that. I thought you guys were good at this game." He shook his head in disbelieve. How his family could be so dense, he would never understand. "Who's next?" He held the marker out towards his mother and siblings.

"Daddy, do you want to join us? It is fun, even if Emmy can't draw and comes up with really weird things," Alice beamed up at Carlisle while Emmett made disgruntled noises about her criticism.

Carlisle chuckled and raised his hand to politely decline. "Maybe later, Princess. I'm going to go take a hot shower and get comfortable. It's been a really long day. I think I need to unwind some before I can really be any fun."

"Aww." She pouted but gave a little nod of understanding.

"Do you want any company, Sweetheart," Esme purred softly.

"Mom, would you please tone it down. There are minors present." Edward groaned at the vision that popped into his head.

"Serves you right, Son." Carlisle chided gently as he crossed over to his wife and gave her a passionate kiss. "As tempting as the offer is, I think I better decline. If I have company, I would be apt to stay in the shower all night."

"You say that like it's a bad thing, Love." She reached up and ran her fingers along his neck and down his chest.

"Mom... DAD! PLEASE!"

"Hold onto that though for a little later. Let me go get cleaned up first."

"No, don't hold onto that thought. Please don't. Well that's it. My existence is scarred forever."

"Edward, if you would give us some privacy as I continually ask you to do, then you wouldn't be in this situation," Carlisle remarked before taking his mate's hand and kissing it gently. "You don't see your siblings getting all worked up. If you controlled your gift, you wouldn't be in such mental anguish."

"Or maybe they don't get worked up because ... well Emmett and Rosalie ... yeah, right. It's not like they care. Look at what we all have to listen to when it comes to them."

"Hey, when you've got it, flaunt it, Bro." Emmett wiggled his eyebrows as a devilish grin crossed his face which caused Edward to roll his eyes.

"Yeah, whatever." Edward rolled his eyes before returning his attention to his father. "And Alice thinks the two of you are cute."

At Edward's run down, Carlisle's brows suddenly knitted. "Where is Jasper?"

Alice looked down at the marker that she now held in her hand. "He didn't feel like playing right now and decided to stay in our room to rest."

"Oh." Carlisle's tone was a bit flat. "I see."

Alice looked back up at her father and gave him her best reassuring smile. "He's okay, Daddy. It was just a long day. You know how it is. He was kinda feeling like you and decided to take a shower and just relax for a bit. I'm sure that he'll be down in a little while. Hopefully, both of you will join us."

The elder gave his daughter a slight nod as he smiled weakly and sighed. "Sounds like fun, Princess. You all keep playing and I'll join you in a little while."

"Alright, Daddy. Enjoy your shower." Alice bounced on her toes as she looked over the card that she had pulled then, turning toward the easel, she began to draw.

* * *

Jasper was lying across his bed on his stomach reading through his physics homework when a gentle knock sounded on the door.

"Come in. Door's open."

Carlisle cracked the door open and looked in at his son. "Good evening, Jasper. How are you doing?"

"Just fine, Sir."

"Are you certain? I was a little worried when I found that you weren't downstairs with Alice and the others."

Jasper smirked a little as he motioned his father into the room. "I just didn't feel up to game night; not just yet. I have some homework to do and would rather get that knocked out. I don't do as well as Emmett with that last minute rush in the morning to get everything down. That shi... that kind of stuff just aint my cup of tea, Papa. Last minute like that is for the birds; not to mention you're more apt to screw stuff up and put down the wrong answer. With as many times as I've studied these classes, getting a question wrong just annoys the tar out of me."

Carlisle pulled Jasper's desk chair over towards the bed and sat down next to his son. "Far be it for me to discourage your scholarly pursuits, but are you certain that's the only reason that you decided to stay up here?"

Jasper could see regret reflected in his father's dark topaz eyes. "Papa, you aren't having second thoughts about this morning, are you?"

The elder stared into the youth's eyes but didn't say a word.

"Oh, Carlisle, there is nothing for you to be worrying about." The Texan smiled warmly at the patriarch as he reached out and patted Carlisle's knee. "It's not like I didn't deserve it. Shoot, if I had acted up like that when I was human my Pa would have had me walking sideways with a limp for a month."

Jasper rarely spoke of his human memories beyond his brief time spent in the Confederate Army so Carlisle's ears perked up at the mention of the boy's father.

"So your biological father was harsh with you as well?"

Jasper eased himself onto his side with a slight wince and propped himself up on his elbow as he rolled his eyes. "Papa, you have never been harsh with me. Get that ignorant thought out of your head. It's got no place being there. I was out of sorts this morning and you stepped up and straightened me out. That's your job and I respect that. So my tail is still a bit tender and I'm burping up a soap bubble here and there. That aint nothin'. I shocked myself when I snapped at Momma like that. Esme's got a heart of gold and sure didn't deserve to be putting up with my crap."

"Still, I should have been more understanding and given us both some time to cool off. You're a good man, Jasper; a man who can be reasoned with. Punishment should not have been my first course of action."

Jasper grew serious as he looked at his father's troubled face. "And how do you think I became a good man who can be reasoned with? I wasn't born this way. Trust me, I'm no angel, Papa; never was and I seriously doubt that I ever will be. I've made just as many mistakes and raised just as much hell as the next guy. Being held accountable for my blunders is what turned me into the man that I am today. My Pa started teaching me and then once our paths crossed you took up the mantle and put me back on the right track. That's not a task I envy in the least and I'm grateful that you've never shied away from doing what you thought right."

The boy shifted into a more comfortable position while he tapped into Carlisle's mood. "You've been frettin' on this all day, haven't you?"

The sadness in Carlisle's eyes was answer enough.

Jasper cleared his throat as he shook his head and closed his school book before pushing it aside.

"You think you've been too hard on me. You want to know what you're up against when it comes to me thinking that a punishment is harsh? I ripped limbs off of newborns for minor transgressions and you think I'm going to be overly upset over a sore behind and a soapy aftertaste? Heck, even when blood still ran in my veins I took worse by comparison.

Let me tell you a little story, Papa. I know this will come as quite a shock to you, but I wasn't always the brilliant upstanding student that you see before you. There was a time that you would be much more likely to find me cracking stolen pecans in a neighbor's orchard than you would find me cracking open a book."

The solider gave Carlisle a sly look as he grinned. "And don't think I didn't learn several really hard lessons about that thievery business. My Pa busted my ass a few times because of that, as did the neighbors when they could catch me. The bad part about the neighbors whoopin' me was that once my Pa found out about it, it didn't matter that my butt was already sore; I was headed back to the woodshed with him. Took me a while to understand the meaning of private property, but I had a lot of help with that one.

Anyway, I digress. I was of a mind that book learning was for sissys who didn't know how to hunt and fish or plant a field to care for their family. I had all the skills I needed, so why did I care what happened in history books? I had enough number knowledge to know if a man was cheating me out of money so arithmetic was pointless as well. Learning just wasn't my thing."

Jasper had Carlisle's full attention. A very private individual by nature, Jasper was rarely comfortable enough to share glimpses of his life with anyone other than Alice. Carlisle knew what an honor his son was bestowing upon him by opening up this way and he respectfully clung to the younger man's every word.

"My Pa was a rancher. He was a good hardworking man who would toil from sun up to sun down to take care of his family. Now, my Ma... well Ma was a school teacher before my siblings and I came along, so it goes without saying that she disagreed with my views on schooling. To make matters worse, Pa wanted better for us than what he had which made him take a more progressive view on education."

Jasper ran his hand through his hair and closed his eyes as he shifted through the faulty and faded remains of his human memories.

"One day, I got it into my head that I didn't need to go to school any more. I was a man after all. I could do a man's work. I could put in a full day's work with the stock and I had no problems plowing up a field from sun up to moonrise. I was tired of wasting my time sitting in a classroom doing endless pointless drills so on that day I just decided to up and stop going. Big mistake. HUGE."

* * *

"Jasper, where are ya gittin' off to? School is this way and if ya keep goofin' 'round, ya gonna make us all late."

"Ah aint goin' ta school today. Fact, ah aint gonna go no mo'."

The young boy's older brother stopped and gave Jasper a critical look. "And jest why aint ya goin'?"

"Cause ah don't needa. Ah already know what ah needa know."

"Then ya know what'll happen ta ya when Pa finds out."

"Jack, Pa aint gonna find out, less ya tell 'im. Just do me this one favor and don't rat on me. What Pa don't know don't hurt 'im or me."

"But when he does finds out on his own it's likely to hurt me bad."

"Trust me, he won't find out."

Jack opened his mouth to point out the flaws in his brother's logic when he felt a tug at his shirt sleeve.

"Jack, we gotta go. Ah don't need no mo' trouble with Miss Evans. If ah git on her bad side again Pa will wear me out. Ah can't be late."

Jasper nodded to his older brother. "Ya and Nate git. Ah plan on meetin' Zach down by Miller's pond ta do a bit of fishin'. Fresh fish for dinna at the Whitlock homestead tonight all because of your brother, the provider."

As the brothers parted ways, Jasper's heart was giddy and light. It felt good to finally stand up for himself and do what he wanted for a change instead of always bowing to the will of others. The young man was just entering his thirteenth year and was beginning to feel the urge to prove himself. He just knew that he was destined for greatness, but also knew that he would never find his true path as long as he was never allowed to break his own trail. Well, that was all changing today. Now he was his own man. He answered to no one at all.

Jasper took an easy breath as he turned his face towards the sun, enjoying how the warm golden rays caressed his skin. This was the life. The wilderness would be his teacher and the forest his classroom. There was wisdom in the land that he could never learn from books. Oh yeah, this was the life.

With a joyful whoop, he broke into a run that carried him down the gently sloping hill towards the pond and his waiting friend. With the whole wide world opening before him, there was no stopping the honey haired boy now.

* * *

"Zachariah Casey, ya get your rump out of that pond right now or I'm a comin' in after ya. Who is that there with ya? Is that Monroe Whitlock's boy? Boy, does your Pa know that you're not at school?"

Jasper paddled toward the deeper end of the pond as he cautiously eyed Zach's father while his friend slogged out of the pond with a stance that appeared completely defeated. Zach's shoulders sagged and his head hung low as he approached his fuming father.

"You do best to get ya behind out of there too, Whitlock."

Jasper shook his head sending water droplets flying from his golden hair. "We was let out of class early for doing so good on our last examination, Mr. Casey. Zach and ah thought that a bit of fishin' would turn out some good eatin' tonight, so we stopped on our ways home. When it started gittin' a might hot, we figured to jump in and cool off before headin' home with our catch. Honest, Sir there was no harm done."

The large imposing man put his hands on his hips as he glared down at his son. "Is that the truth, boy?"

Trembling, Zach glanced at Jasper before turning to his father as he slowly nodded his head.

"Then Miss Evans will be wantin' to get her eyes checked out by the Doc right soon since she told me that she hadn't seen you all day."

The slight red headed boy looked up at his father with eyes wide with fear.

"Oh, yeah, I done talked to her," Mr. Casey said, confirming his son's worst fears. "Miss Evans had asked me to fix a wobbly leg on her desk and ya can imagine my surprise to find my boy's seat empty. Looks as if it will be empty again tomorrow. You'll be a goin', but I doubt that ya'll be in any fit shape to be sittin', Son."

Mr. Casey grabbed his small son by the upper arm and held him tightly as his hard calloused hand delivered several powerful blows to Zach's wet backside. Tears welled up in the boy's eyes as he danced from foot to foot trying to stamp out the fire blazing on his butt.

Releasing his hold on the boy, the man gruffly growled, "Go git yourself home and git to your chores. Once ya done with them, go wait on me back at the barn. I have a couple more deliveries to make and then I'll be home to make one more delivery; my strop to your back end, boy. I'll learn you to cut school and then try to lie to me about it. Go on, now, GIT."

Jasper swallowed nervously as he watched his friend scoop up his clothes and race out of sight, rubbing his stinging behind all the way.

"Whitlock."

Jasper's attention snapped towards the still seething man.

"Whitlock, I've got half a mind to haul ya out of there and give ya the tannin' ya got comin', but I'm sure ya Pa will be wantin' to take care of that himself soon enough. Git your sorry butt home and be sure to tell ya Pa what you got up to today. Better to come from you, boy than from one of ya brothers or someone else."

Jasper continued to tread water as the man's words echoed in his ears. He knew that Zach's father was right just like he knew that a man was supposed to take responsibility for his actions. He would just have to tell his father that since he was man enough to work, he was man enough to make his own decisions and had decided that he was beyond schooling now. Surely his father would understand that, maybe even help him get hired on somewhere so he could start bring in some real money to help pay his family out. Yep that's exactly what he would do.

Swimming over to the edge of the pond, Jasper hauled himself out of the water and grabbed his clothes. "You're right, Mr. Casey. Ah'll tell my Pa as soon as he gets back from town." Dressing quickly he looked over to see the man slowly turning away and called out, "Mr. Casey, do you know anyone who would be looking to hire a hard worker? Ah was thinkin' about blacksmithin' or maybe workin' the mill."

"What're ya talkin' about, boy?"

"Ah'm done with book learn' and ready to step up and be a man. It's time ah earn my keep."

The grizzled muscular man snorted out a laugh as he looked at the boy standing so straight and proud before him. "Talk to ya, Pa 'bout that and iffin he agrees, I'll see what's available for a fine young lad such as yourself."

Jasper smiled broadly as he reached out his hand to shake Mr. Casey's. "Thank ya, Sir. Much obliged. Ah'll just be headed home now. Please don't be too overly hard on Zach. He is just tryin' to grow up a might too fast; lookin' to hang with the men and all. Still a bit wet behind the ears, but he's a good kid and will make for a fine man one of these days."

Giving a cocky grin, Jasper started off on the path home, leaving behind a highly amused Casey who couldn't help, but laugh at the little man who disappeared around the bend.


	2. All Grown Up?

"But did I tell my daddy when he got home?" Jasper gave a soft sad laugh. "As if. Now, don't get me wrong, Papa, I did have every intention of telling him. I really did, but over the course of that walk home, I got to thinking thoughts that weren't very good. As grown up as I felt, I knew that my Pa viewed me very differently. I also knew that if he was to find out that I had ditched school, I wasn't going to be sitting anytime soon and that is a very sobering thought, to say the least."

Carlisle's solider boy sighed at the memories that played in his head.

"Were you at least truthful when your father confronted you?"

A corner of his mouth turned up in a half smile. "Now, why would you think that he eventually confronted me?"

"Just seems like the logical course of action," Carlisle spoke softly as he leaned a bit back in his seat.

"Well, Papa, you are so very rarely wrong that I'm going to have to mark this date on the calendar." Jasper's smirk grew. "My father didn't confront me about skipping school, but he most certainly did find out."

"From your brothers or from your friend's father?"

Jasper shook his head. "My brothers were always good on their word. They would have never told my dad a thing. It's not that they were defiant or anything like that. They just took pride in always keeping their word; we all did. A Whitlock's word is his bond and we learned from my father to take that extremely seriously." The youth's chest swelled up with pride. "No, it wasn't my brothers, but it wasn't Mr. Casey either." He gave a quiet sigh before disclosing, "It was Zach."

Carlisle cocked his head to the side as confusion shone brightly in his eyes. "How did that happen?"

"It was a couple of days later when my father went to get some feed for the stock. Part of Zach's punishment was to help out at the Feed and Seed, so he was loading Pa up when he tripped and fell; landed dead center on his ass.

Well naturally, he jumped up yelping for all he was worth and my Dad was worried that he had hurt himself. While helping him up and making sure he was alright, it came out that Zach's malady was just a sore behind brought on from a strapping he got the day 'Jasper and I' decided to skip school and go fishing." Jasper created quotation marks in the air with his fingers as he rolled his eyes, causing Carlisle to chuckle softly. "Yep, my friend was not the brightest star in the sky." The boy let out an exasperated sigh.

Shaking his head slightly, Jasper looked up at his father. "My Pa was always a clever one and never let on that he had even heard what Zach said. That kept Zach from realizing his slip up and giving me a heads up, so I went on for several more days just completely blissfully unaware that my father had any knowledge of my shenanigans.

My Pa did start making a point of asking me about what I was learning in school. He was interested in my homework and offered to help me with it."

Jasper suddenly glanced away from Carlisle as his embarrassment at his misconduct from so long ago showed on his face. Clearing his throat he continued in a slightly weaker tone.

"Well, Papa, the biggest problem in all of that was the fact that I hadn't stepped foot in the school house since that first fishing day. I would go off and spend the day doing other things, then meet up with my brothers on their way home." With a quiet cough, he looked up into his father's soft nonjudgmental eyes. "I was just piling up lie on top of lie."

Carlisle let out a held breath as he shook his head sadly. "In your father's place, I would have given you a great deal of incentive to never even consider lying as a viable option again."

Jasper laughed at Carlisle's statement. "I wouldn't expect anything less, Papa, but believe me, I got all the incentive anyone ever needed and then some. By allowing my lies to snowball, Pa assured that he had more than enough reason to hang me out to dry and that I had enough fuel to feed my guilty conscience as well.

The guilt was bad. It got to the point that I was having trouble sleeping. When I would split off from my brothers and go my own way, I began to take less and less enjoyment out of my adventures. Exploring, riding, fishing... none of it was any fun any longer; it was just something to do to fill my time. It takes a lot of energy and effort to keep a lie alive and well, and this one was starting to wear on me.

One night, after tossing and turning for several hours I finally gave in and went to my parent's room. I just couldn't take my conscience riding me like that anymore. I knew how my Pa would react. I knew how disappointed and angry he would with me and I knew that my butt was fixin' to be hating on me something fierce." He fell silent for a moment as he looked at Carlisle then huffed out a sigh. "It took a healthy dose of courage to wake my Pa up, but I decided that being a man meant facing your fears. Boy, did I have some fears to face."

* * *

"Pa. Pa, ah need to tell you something."

"What's wrong, Son. Are you ailin'?" Catherine Whitlock sat up and gazed at her son standing still at the foot of the bed with his head slung low.

"In a way, Ma."

"Jasper, go back to bed. I'm sure that this can wait until morning." His father rolled over with a groaned.

"No, Pa, ah really need to talk to ya now. Ah don't think ah can last another minute."

Monroe sighed heavily as got up and sat on the side of his bed. Raking his hands through his dark unruly hair, he yawned then turned his attention to his young son who stood so grave and silent before him. "Alright, Jasper, what is this problem that can't wait?"

Jasper clasped his hands before him as he struggled with his nerves. "Pa, ah've done something that you and Ma are not gonna like one bit, but keepin' it from ya has just been a gnawin' at me and ah can't do it no mo."

His father seemed to come fully awake at those words. Inhaling deeply he nodded. "Go on, Son."

The boy's mouth went dry and his heart began to race. Despite the coolness of the night, sweat beaded up on his brow as he stood there shifting anxiously while his confession caught in his throat. Jasper's warm chestnut brown eyes sparkled in the faint moonlight as unbidden tears sprang into them.

"Ma. Pa. I haven't...You see..." He swallowed hard as his courage ebbed and flowed in useless endless waves. "It's school."

"What about school, sweetheart," his mother asked softly.

"They don't have anything there for me, Ma. Ah'm a man now and ah don't have time ta be playin' 'round with kid things anymo' like settin' in a school house while Miss Evans learns me things that are just plain useless to me."

Another sigh came from his father before he spoke, "If you want ta talk about school, we can do that tomorrow over breakfast. Go on back ta bed, Jasper. I think that is enough foolishness for one night. I have a busy day tomorrow and I don't appreciate my son disturbin' my rest with this sorta foolishness."

"But, Pa."

"Don't you back talk me, son or I'll show you what that 'but Pa' will earn ya. Get your tail back to bed right now before I bust it for ya and then ya can git ta sleepin' on your belly."

"Pa, ah haven't been going to school," he blurted out rapidly before his nerve completely failed then began to visibly quake. He told himself that he was shivering because of the chilled night air, but Jasper knew better and the dark look in his father's eyes further fueled his fear.

"Go. Back. To. Bed. Boy. We'll be discussin' this come morning. Since ya aren't interested in learnin' in class, I'm inclined to let you stay home tomorrow and I'll be doin' some teachin' myself. After you're done with ya morning chores I'll be expecting you to come find me so we can start ya lesson. . Now, git yourself out of here. Morning will be comin' soon enough."

Large tears rolled down Jasper's face at his father's words. "But Pa…."

Monroe grabbed his son's arm as he hauled himself out of bed and onto his feet. "I told you to do something, boy." His large hard hand connected violently with Jasper's backside causing the boy to yelp as he rose on his toes. "I don't like to have to repeat myself and ya know that well enough." The big man rained several more licks to his son's rear end before releasing his hold to grant the boy his freedom. "Bed, young man. Now. And stop your crying. That don't git you no sympathy from me."

With tears in his eyes, Jasper raced towards the room he shared with his brothers and threw himself onto his bed, rubbing his rump for all it was worth. Burying his face against his feather bed to help muffle his cries, Jasper wept quietly. His father almost never gave him or his siblings so much as a warning swat in front of anyone else, but now his mother had witnessed Jasper's spanking as well as his disgraceful display. The young wheaten haired boy felt humiliated as his tears soaked the cotton ticking sheet.

"Ah am a man, and a man shouldn't be getting a whoopin'. Who does he think he is to be treatin'me like that? Ah'll show 'im. Ah won't stand for it."

Fear and humiliation caused a dangerous thought to come to young Jasper's mind. He was a man and he would prove it. He would leave to live on his own. He knew how to make a shelter and he sure knew how to provide food for himself. Cooking it was a different matter, but Jasper was certain he would be able to do that well enough to get by. With a glance at his peacefully sleeping brothers, Jasper made up his mind.

Silent as a shadow, the boy slipped back out of his bed and walked over to the window. He wouldn't risk his father hearing him leave through the door. Grabbing up a few things that he might need, Jasper glanced back at his brothers. He would miss them, for sure, but hopefully life would see their paths cross again. Maybe once he was rich and successful, he would look them up and help them out. The boy gave a slight nod. _Yep, that's what I'll do. _

Hauling himself out the window the young Whitlock escaped into the still velvet darkness of the night ready to prove to the world that he was indeed a man and no one could control him any longer.

* * *

"Oh, Jasper." Carlisle's quiet tone was tinged with dismay at the boy's youthful antics. "Running never solves anything."

"I know that now, Papa, but at the time it sure seemed like the most reasonable solution to my problem. I sure didn't know how I was going to ever face my Ma after embarrassing myself by crying in front of her over just a couple of licks, and from my father's hand at that. My pride just wouldn't allow that. It was one thing if I'd been strapped, but just a warning spanking like that?" Jasper rolled his eyes. "I was made of stronger stuff and I had to find a way to prove it. I thought that if I could get out on my own and make a name for myself the memory of my disgrace would just vanish."

"And did it?"

Jasper snorted as he grinned slightly. "Well, hell no."

Carlisle shook his head, but smiled warmly. "So what did happen?"

"I lasted about a week on my own, but found that I really didn't have the skills I thought I did. Cooking was well beyond me; at least cooking anything that was remotely edible. So there I was too afraid to go home with my tail tucked between my legs from having failed to even get a foothold at taking care of myself. I figured my father would have been as disgusted with me as I was with myself. This big man out on his own who couldn't get a job because I was afraid of being found out and I was in a state because I wasn't self-sufficient. Wanna talk about taking a hit to the old ego. "

"What about those pecans you talked about?"

Jasper chuckled. "Wasn't the right season so I was a bit out of luck in the hunting and gathering department. I was a reasonably accomplished thief though, so I guess maybe I didn't do too badly gathering after all. A couple of pies went missing from neighbors' windowsills, but then I got a bit too cocky and daring." Jasper lowered his head ever so slightly as he continued. "Mrs. Casey had made a batch of fried chicken and the smell was just too much for me to pass up.

I knocked on the door, but no one answered so I let myself in. That heavenly aroma was like a siren's song to my empty rumbling stomach. Before I knew it, I found myself staring at a platter of golden brown goodness. Now days, that doesn't have any appeal, but back then…." Jasper's eyes glazed over at the memory before he shook his head to clear it. "Anyway, I was just starting to help myself to a couple pieces of chicken when I heard the door open."

* * *

"What in the Sam Hill is going on in here," a deep masculine voice boomed causing Jasper to nearly jump out of his skin. "Whitlock."

Spinning around on his heels in wide eyed terror, the youngster came face to face with a livid Gideon Casey.

Quickly dropping his would be meal, the fair haired boy made a mad dashed towards the door as he ducked around the large imposing man, but Gideon was just a little bit quicker.

Grasping the boy by the collar, he hauled a kicking and flailing Jasper back into the kitchen and roughly shoved him down into the nearest chair. "Your Ma and Pa have been besides themselves with worry, boy. Do ya have any idea what you have been putting them through?"

"Please Mr. Casey, Sah, Ah am mighty sorry. Just let me go and ah swear to ya, ya'll never see me again."

Jasper began to get up only to have the man's huge hand land heavily upon his shoulder to push him back down and hold him in place.

"Ya aint goin' anywhere jest yet, Son. Keep your keister in that there chair or I swear to the good Lord, I will take my belt to you before turning you over to your Pa for more of the same."

"Mr. Casey, please."

"Just settle yourself right down." Gideon gave the trembling boy a hard glare before sighing softly and shaking his head. "Jest look at ya." Taking in the full sight of Jasper's dirty unkempt appearance, the man groaned. "Looks like you have been having a rough go of it. Hungry?"

Jasper shook his head. As hungry as he had been moments before, the thought of eating now churned his stomach while he awaited some death sentence to befall him; a sentence that Gideon Casey didn't wait long to pronounce.

"Then there be no point in puttin' off what's to come, boy. Might as well be gettin' ya home."

"Ah can't go home."

"Why of course ya can go home."

"No, Sah, not after what ah done."

Gideon crossed his arms as he continued to stare at the boy, but his gruff voice softened slightly. "Son, the sooner you face what ya got comin' the sooner it will be done and ya can git back to normal."

"That's jest it, Ah can't face my Ma and Pa. Ah need to find a way to redeem myself before Ah can go home. Ah'm sure they won't even wanna look at me now." Jasper looked down at his clasped hands lying in his lap as he heaved a deep sigh. "Not as Ah can blame 'em one bit."

Gideon took hold of the boy's chin and tipped his head back to catch his eye. "Boy, let me tell ya sumthin', there aint nuthin' ya can do to make your Ma and Pa turn ya away. Nuthin'. Its aint no different with me and my boy. Ya messed up, but your Ma and Pa will always be there waiting for you with open arms. They love ya regardless and that aint gonna change. That's why they be worrying themselves sick over ya."

Jasper's brown eyes glistened with tears, but the expression on his face was one of hope.

"Do ya really think they'll have me back, Mr. Casey?"

"No, I don't think it at all; I know it, boy."

Jasper felt his cheeks flush as he allowed himself to hope that Mr. Casey was correct in his assumptions. A cold chill run up his spine at the thought of facing his father, but if he was being honest with himself, the thing Jasper wanted most right now was to be safe back at home.

"Mr. Casey, how much trouble do ya reckon Ah'm in right about now?"

Gideon rubbed his chin as he looked at the young boy thoughtfully. "I wouldn't want to be in your spot, boy, but you'll survive." The big man gave a little snort of a laugh. "Your Pa and I survived our childhoods and don't you think we didn't find ourselves in circumstances kinda like yours more than once. Every one of us has been there, boy, and we don't forget what it was like. Gotta think that it aint gonna be fun, but once everything is said and done things will be right as rain. That you can count on."

Though still visibly nervous, Jasper accepted the man's words with a nod.

"Come on, boy. Let's get ya home. Ya Ma is gonna be beyond excited to see you."

* * *

Catherine was trying to keep herself busy with housework to keep her mind off of her worries when the sound of a wagon pulling up in the yard drew her attention. Wiping her hands on a rag, she went to the door hoping that it was her husband with news of their son. Seeing Gideon Casey climbing down from the buckboard, she gave a disappointed sigh before noticing a second much smaller body swinging down from the wagon.

"Jasper! Oh my Lord, Jasper!" Racing towards her son, she enveloped him in her loving embrace as she kissed the top of his head while tears streamed down her cheeks. "Where have you been? Are you hurt? Oh my gracious just look at you. Never mind just thank the Lord that you're back home safe and sound." Looking up at Gideon, she quickly added, "Where did you find him?"

The gruff grizzled man leaned back against his wagon and crossed his arms. "Found him in my kitchen eyeing some of my wife's cookin'. Couple minutes later and I wouldn't have had any dinner tonight," he grumbled, but gave the frantic woman a wink.

"Jasper Whitlock." His mother pushed him back and held him out at arm's length with her hands on his shoulders as she gave him a piercing look. "You know better than that."

"It's alright, Cat. No harm done. Besides, that's how I managed to find 'im. It's a good thing I was blessed with my Martha and her irresistible cooking or we would still be searchin' for that little scoundrel." A rare smile crept across the man's weathered face as his green eyes glistened. "Is Monroe around?"

"He went into town hoping to get word that someone had seen Jasper." She pulled the boy back against her wrapping an arm tightly around him as she brushed away her tears.

"Hmm, I was heading into town myself. I'll see if I can catch up to him and send him home. I would like to have a few words with him. Make sure that boy of yours gets a couple of good whacks for trying to help himself to my grub."

"There is no need to worry about that, Gideon." Unconsciously she tightened her grip on her son. "Right now, little Mr. Jasper ought to be counting himself lucky that I'm not giving him a tanning myself."

Gideon laughed. "Nothin' quite as fierce as a protective mother. Worse when it comes down to having to protect her baby from himself." Pushing off the wagon, he stepped closer to mother and son. Reaching out, he ruffled Jasper's honey colored hair as he gave the boy a genuine smile. "You're lucky ta have such a caring Ma and Pa. Don't you ever forget that, boy."

"Ah won't, Sah."

"We will be forever in your debt, Gideon. Thank you for bringing our son back to us."

"It were nothin', Cat. Y'all would have done the same for me had it been Zach to get such a foolish notion. I'm just glad that it all worked out with a happy ending."

Jasper hung his head low as he muttered, "Not certain 'bout that endin' bein' none too happy."

Gideon crooked his finger and motioned to Jasper. "Come here, boy."

A little push from Catherine sent her son shuffling the few feet that it took to find him standing before his friend's father. Jasper shivered as he kept his eyes on the ground, too afraid of what he might see in the man's eyes.

Taking the boy's hands in his, Gideon crouched down until they were eye level then took a deep breath before speaking.

"Some days back ya told me that ya see yourself as a man. Well I'm here to tell ya that a man doesn't run from his problems. When he makes a mistake, he works at correcting it and he accepts the consequences without a lot of fussin'.

Ya wanna be a man, then how ya act now will be a big step in either the right or wrong direction; choice is yours, boy. I'm sure you'll make the right one."

Jasper nodded. "Ah'll try, Sah."

"I know that you will, boy." Letting go of Jasper's hands, Gideon stood back up and patted the youngster on his shoulder. "You'll be a fine young man, Whitlock, just like your Pa, but ya gotta give it time. Can't be expecting to grow up overnight." Taking a step back from the boy, Gideon gave Catherine a slight nod before reaching out to tip Jasper's head up. "You best mind your Ma or next time I see ya, I'll wear your behind out, you hear me?"

"Yes, Sah."

"Cat, I'm sure the lad is hungry. You might wanna feed him before Monroe gets home. I could be wrong, but I don't think your young'un is gonna have much of an appetite later on."

"I doubt that he has much of one now, but I'll see to it that he gets something in his stomach." Gathering her son to her, she aimed him towards the house and sent him on his way with a swat that brought up a cloud of dust from his backside. "I have some stew on the fire. Go get a bowl and I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Yes, ma'am." With his shoulders hunched and his head low, Jasper crossed the yard and disappeared into the house, leaving the adults to their discussion.

* * *

"Sounds like your friend's father was a wise man." Carlisle noted as Jasper halted in his retelling.

"That he was. He was a hard man; very no nonsense, but he was smart and would give you the shirt off his back if you were in need."

Carlisle took a deep breath and held it for a few seconds before letting it out slowly. "Did he find your father?"

"Why yes, Sir, he most certainly did. Found my Pa, told him what had happened and, good to his word, sent him home with the request to give me a couple good licks for him." Jasper rubbed his sore behind, but it was the memory from so long ago that he was trying to rub away. "I know that your Pa wasn't the softest touch, Papa, but had you ever been switched?"

Carlisle shook his head. "Can't say that I ever was. I was birched and caned, which I have to think is similar, but I never had to endure a switch."

Jasper whistled low. "There is something about being handed a pocket knife and told to go cut the instrument of your impending doom that just makes it a hundred times worse." The younger blonde closed his eyes and groaned softly as he recalled what Carlisle had to assume was a most unpleasant experience. "We had several old hickory trees in the back of our property that were designated for just such use."

As he opened his eyes and looked directly at his father, Carlisle detected a glint of mischief in his son's eyes.

"My brothers and I managed to cut down one of the trees thinking that if we got rid of them our switchin' days would be over. Oh man, but did we catch hell for that one, but that is a completely different story." He laughed heartily as he ran his hand through his hair to brush it back out of his face. "That was well after this fiasco though so it was that old tree who came into play when it came time to teach this runaway truant thief a lesson."

* * *

**AN:** Y'all know, I think I might have been able to keep this to a one shot if Carlisle would stop asking questions. That's what keeps prolonging this. Guess it is a one shot that became a triple shot. *rolls eyes* Next chapter should see little Jazzy taking a long overdue trip out to the woodshed with his Pa.

Thanks everyone for the wonderful feedback. Y'all are the best. My deepest heartfelt thanks to the wondrous Splinter for her continual astounding ability to put up with me, all my typos and just plain stupid mistakes. My beta is truly a saint.

Now let's see if I can keep Jasper and Carlisle both under control long enough to wrap this sucker up in one more chapter. Miracles can happen.


	3. Daddy's Little Man

"But, Ma, Ah don't want no mo. Look at me." Jasper pushed back from the table and rubbed his belly. "Ah look like a tick fixin' ta pop."

"You look like no such thing and you didn't even finish that bowl of stew."

"Because ya kept addin' ta it while Ah was tryin' to eat."

Catherine sat down at the table with a relaxed look of contentment on her face. Her baby was back home and all was finally right again with her world. "You have no idea how worried we all were when you disappeared like that."

Jasper let his head fall. "Ah'm sorry, Ma. Ah wasn't thinkin' straight is all." The boy played a little with the food remaining in his bowl before he glanced back at his mother. "Never meant ta make ya worry. Ah thought that Ah could do good, but instead..." He sighed and averted his eyes as he grew more uncomfortable. "Bet Pa was mad as all git out."

"No, Jasper. He was worried. He was scared that something bad had happened to you and the longer you were gone the more frightened we both became."

Jasper shrank a little at his mother's words. "Ah was alright," he whispered almost to himself.

"Well, we couldn't know that." Catherine reached across the table and took hold of her son's hand. Almost reflexively Jasper looked up into his mother's eyes. "Don't you ever do anything so foolish again, Jasper Whitlock or so help me..." Her voice trailed off as she found herself choking back tears.

"Were you really ready ta whoop me like ya said ta Mr. Casey?"

"If I thought it would have done any good." His gentle mother nodded as she regained control over her emotions. Catherine watched her son as he withdrew and became lost in his thoughts. "Honey, why don't you go get yourself cleaned up some before your Pa gets home. You might feel a little better."

"Yes, ma'am." He pushed back from the table, but just as he was beginning to stand up the cabin door flew open and in stepped Monroe Whitlock, looking shocked at the sight of his son.

For several tense long seconds, father and son looked at one another, both seemingly afraid to move. Jasper's eyes grew wide and his blood turned to ice in his veins as a sudden fear took hold of him. A tiny voice whispered for him to run, but Jasper's feet refused to respond leaving him to tremble as his pent up energy fought to find a release.

Monroe exhaled forcibly, sounding like a snorting bull, and then walked towards his son with determination. Reaching out, he grabbed Jasper by the shoulders and pulled the boy towards him. With one arm wrapped around the youth's slender frame, he raked his fingers through his son's tangled blonde locks as he hugged him tightly against the lower part of his chest.

"Boy, don't ya ever scare me like that again, you hear?" Tears dampened the man's face as he embraced his wayward son.

Soft sobs came from the boy as he locked his arms around his father's waist. "Ah'm so sorry, Pa. Ah wanted to come home, but Ah didn't think ya would want me."

"How could you think such a fool thing, boy? Why would I not want ya? You're my boy; my pride and joy, Son. You're my best and brightest, Jasper and I couldn't ask for better. I would never turn you away."

Jasper's weeping racked his body as he released all his built up pain, sorrow and fear. He allowed himself to experience the full extent of the warmth of his father's healing love. His knees buckled and he felt himself begin to fall only to find himself quickly caught up and cradled in his father's strong arms as Monroe took a seat at the table. Jasper clutched his father's work shirt tightly as he curled up into a small ball against the man's broad chest while Monroe rocked him gently. Slowly the boy began to relax and quiet down.

"Monroe," Catherine spoke softly as she got up and moved closer to her husband and brushed a lock of hair out of her son's face. "He's exhausted. Why don't you let him rest for a while?"

The dark haired man looked up at his wife for a moment before nodding. Easily lifting his son, Monroe stood and carried Jasper to his waiting bed. Gently placing the young boy down, his father draped a quilt over him as Jasper burrowed into the soft feather mattress with a quiet sigh.

"Pa, Ah can't say how sorry Ah am."

"Shush, boy. You rest now. We'll be havin' a talk a bit later, but for now ya just rest up. Once your brothers get home from school, I doubt that there will be any restin' going on." Ruffling up Jasper's hair, he bent over and kissed his son's head. "Now, rest, boy. You stay here until I call or come git ya and don't get any wild notions about runnin' off again."

Jasper snuggled down as he nodded slightly. "Ah'm dun runnin', Pa." Looking up he met his father's warm dark eyes. "A real man don't run from his problems."

Monroe gave a little snort of laughter. "True enough, boy. Ya still gotta ways ta go, but you'll be growin' into a fine young man, Jasper. Now get some shut eye. That's my final word, boy."

"Yes, Pa." Jasper pulled the quilt around himself as he cuddled in, a light smile playing on his lips. _Ah'll grow inta a man ya can be proud of, Pa. That's a promise. _

* * *

"So you see, my Pa wasn't that harsh of a man; just very direct." A sheepish grin stole over Jasper's face. "That being said, I have to admit that you let me get away with a lot more than my Pa would have."

Carlisle cocked a brow and drew a breath to begin to speak, but his son quickly cut him off before he could start.

"Not that I have any problem with that at all, Papa. You do a fine job of keeping me in line and I wouldn't have you change a thing. I was just making the comparison, is all."

"That's good to know, Jazz, but I'll be happy to make adjustments to my technique if need be. I do understand that different people sometimes require different approaches if I am to achieve maximum results." Carlisle folded his arms over his chest as he raised a brow while giving Jasper a pointed look, but there was a teasing glimmer in his eyes which the solider happily noted.

"Well, I do thank you for that kindness, Sir, but there is no need to make special concessions for yours truly."

"I promise you, it won't be any trouble at all."

"No, I'm sure that it won't." Jasper cocked his head to the side as he grinned. "Though I might have to seriously rethink that no runnin' clause."

Carlisle shook his head as he chuckled softly. "You, young man, are much too smart for that."

"You'd like ta think that, but you know…history does have a rather nasty habit of repeating itself." Jasper gave his father a wink as his grin widened.

"So what you're telling me is that I am going to have to start keeping a closer eye on you to make sure that you don't start skipping school and turn into a human food bandit."

"With the lesson my Pa taught me that day, I don't think you have anything to worry about when it comes to those two things." Jasper's eyes narrowed slightly as he thought for a moment before adding, "Don't know what I would do with a platter of fried chicken anyway."

"Befriend some hungry wolves?"

"Hmm… it would do that." The boy grinned. "Might just buy me a free pass through their territory when needed."

"You stay out of their territory or I'll find a woodshed to take you to."

Jasper held out his hands as if to fend off the very idea. "Oh hell no, Papa. That is one experience that I don't care to have with you. Thankfully a switch won't do no good on my butt anymore, but a razor strop could still make an extremely rough and lasting impression. I hope to God that I never stray so far that you to feel the need to drag me out to a woodshed." The younger man shuddered at the idea.

"So why is just the idea of this rather simple shack more frightening than my study? Not that I want you to be frightened of me, of course, but it is a curiosity."

Jasper rubbed his thumb along his bottom lip thoughtfully before shaking his head. "I don't know. Just the memory of it, I suppose."

Carlisle didn't voice his question, but the expression in his eyes urged Jasper to elaborate.

"It was just…. I don't know. It was really the only place my Pa dished out a serious whoopin'. I mean, my siblings and I might have found ourselves getting cuffed out behind the barn or in a clearing if we decided to act the fool around our Pa, but it was nothing worse than that." Jasper suddenly rolled his eyes at a memory. "There was this one time that Nate and I got into a little… disagreement, you could say, at church. You wanna talk about a mistake.

We both got a little rap on the back of the head and once service let out, Pa excused us from the rest of the congregation to take a short hike down a bridle path. Man, we knew we were in trouble when Pa did the switch pickin' instead of having us do it. That wasn't pretty, but the worse of it was after a very uncomfortable ride back home, Pa snatched us out of that wagon by the scruff of our necks and drug both of us out to the woodshed for a dose of the strap." Jasper dipped his head slightly. "Never did act up in church again. No, Sah. That lesson was learned a really hard way."

Carlisle nodded as a sadness came over his features. "I'm well acquainted with a strap and can certainly empathize."

Jasper reached over to his father and touched him lightly on the arm in a comforting manner. "You suffered far worse," he spoke just above a whisper. "There is no justification for what happened to you. When I ended up on the receiving end it was with good reason." The solider gave a single nod to stress his words.

The patriarch smiled weakly. "Occasionally I gave my father reason enough."

Jasper smirked. "The saintly Carlisle Cullen, a hell raiser? Now that is a story I would love to hear tell one of these days."

"One day," Carlisle agreed. "For now though, I would rather hear your story."

"Let's see, where was I? My Pa put me down and I was out like a light. I woke when my brothers got home from school. Nate was all over me. You would have thought that I had been gone for years with the way he was carrying on. Jack was a bit better. They were quizzing me and then we got to goofing and wrestling around which proved to be my undoing.

We ended up loud enough that my Pa figured I must have had enough rest because it wasn't long after that when I heard my name being called. I knew that it was in my best interest to get my butt in gear so in very short order I found myself standing before my Pa."

* * *

"Jasper, we have some things to take care of." Monroe's tone was grave as he addressed his son. Reaching into his pocket he withdrew his pocketknife and held it out to his son. "We've got cutting out on ya classes, lyin', runnin' away from home, apparently turnin' thief and trespassin'. Only the Lord above knows what else ya got up to, boy." The tall muscular man ran his hand through his dark wavy hair before his expression hardened. "Go cut me three switches and make sure that they are all about as big around as ya finger. I do not want to have to send you back out. You don't want that either, so make sure that you git it right the first time."

"Three?" Jasper's breath hitched in his chest and his heart raced as he reached out to take the knife with a trembling hand.

"Think I might need a fourth?" Monroe cocked a brow as he gave Jasper a stern look.

The boy found it impossible to hold his father's gaze any longer and bowed his head. "No, Pa."

"I'll be expectin' ya in the woodshed. If ya get there first, you wait. Hear me, boy? I'm not gonna have to deal with you runnin' again, am I?"

"No, Sir. Ah'm dun with runnin'," Jasper stated once again, emphatically.

"Good to hear it. Now go on and git. I'll be there to deal wit' ya so we can be done with this all."

Jasper swallowed hard then whispered a soft, "Yes, Sir" before heading outside with his head hung low.

The boy's feet felt like they were made of lead as he walked towards the old gnarled hickory trees. This part of the ritual was nearly worse than the actual whipping; having to take an active role in his punishment.

"One of these days, all the reachable branches will be gone; then what?" Standing on the tips of his toes, Jasper reached up and took hold on one of the drooping lower limbs so he could pull it down towards him. Judging the diameter to be sufficient for its task, he snapped it off and made quick work of stripping away the side twigs and leaves until he was left with a very formidable punitive tool. Giving it a test swish, he shuddered at the whistle the switch made as it cut through the air then mumbled, "three?"

Having to provide his father with more than one switch generally meant that Monroe planned on continuing the punishment until the flexible rods broke on the boy's backside. The thought caused tears to form in Jasper's eyes, blurring his vision.

"Ah sure hope ya weaker than you look." Placing the switch off to the side he turned back to the task of securing two more.

As Jasper gathered up the three switches a thought formed in his mind. Running his thumb along one of the long slender stripped branches he quickly nicked out a tiny wedge of wood with the knife before he had a chance to lose his nerve. Rubbing some dirt over the cut to disguise the exposed wood, he shook his head. _That aint right to be doin'._ He eyed the weakened spot on the switch then sighed softly. _My butt aint gonna last through three if Ah don't do somethin'. _Nicking the next switch in the same manner he continued to berate himself. _This is cowardly and ya aint no coward._ The knife bit into the final branch. _Lookin like today Ah am._

With his shoulders hunched and his head low, Jasper made his way towards the woodshed. Inhaling deeply he gathered the remains of his shattered nerve and pushed open the door. It took a few moments for his eyes to adjust to the dimly lit interior, but he quickly made out the hulking shadow of his father sitting on the remains of a small stump.

Adrenaline flooded the boy's system causing his heart to beat rapidly and his skin to tingle. Forcing himself forward, he approached his father and handed over the switches as well as the man's pocket knife.

Monroe pocketed his knife then carefully flexed the switches and snapped them through the air. Finding them satisfactory, he placed two down while he pointed towards a low cord of wood with the third. "Git them britches down and bend yourself over there, Son. No point in talkin' about it any more. Might as well git right to it."

Drawing a shaky breath, Jasper unbuttoned his pants and pushed them down until they puddled around his ankles. As he began to lean over the stack of wood Monroe's voice stopped him.

"Jasper, ya know better than that. Drop those drawers, too. Ya aint doin' yourself any favors by making me tell ya every little thing."

"Sorry, Pa." Jasper's cheeks blushed brightly at the reprimand. Once his shorts joined his pants, the boy leaned over the woodpile while burying his face in his folded arms.

"Son, ya want to be a man so bad, then I expect ya to take this like a man."

"Yes, Sir." The boy slid a hand a little further under his head until he was able to grip the back of it between his teeth to help stifle his cries.

Stepping up to his son, Monroe lined the switch up and tapped it lightly against Jasper's pale behind a couple of times before drawing it back and quickly letting it fly. With an ominous whistle, the hickory switch flew effortlessly through the air until it came to a sudden stop on the boy's rump, cutting a line of white hot fire into his tender skin.

Jasper's body jerked, but he maintained his position while clamping down on his hand with his teeth. He didn't have much of a chance to recover before the second stroke fell drawing a grunt from the prone boy. Again and again lines of fire crisscrossed his backside until he heard the branch snap and fall to the ground.

Monroe stared at the broken switch for a moment then shrugged his shoulders and tossed it down before taking up its replacement. It was a good thing that he had told Jasper to cut several since he had not planned on having the blasted thing break. _Drought must be wreaking havoc on the trees if they're this brittle._ _Here, I just wanted the boy to take a bit extra time so he would think about all that happened and realize how foolish he was. Never would have thought that I would have ended up needing a second one._

Readjusting his aim, Monroe snapped the switch a bit harder against Jasper's rapidly tenderizing rear end. Jasper jumped and groaned as the coppery taste of blood assaulted his senses. The harsh stroke had caused him to bite down hard enough to break his skin, but there was little else he could do to try to maintain some level of stoicism.

Another sharp strike and Jasper swore to himself that he would never disobey his parents again. Another welt rising across the backs of his thighs and tears flooded his eyes as his breath came out in an explosive huff. When the switch bit into the sensitive skin at the junction of his cheeks and thighs the boy couldn't stand it anymore. Jasper popped up from his position over the cord of wood as his hands flew back to rub out the fire blazing across his fanny.

His father gave him a few moments to regain control over himself before barking at the boy, "Git yourself back down, Jasper. You aint done here, yet."

"But Ah sure feel done, Pa. Well done at that."

"Jasper." The big man growled the boy's name and received almost immediate compliance from his son.

With tears streaming down his cheeks, Jasper leaned back over the stack of wood and prayed that his whipping would be over soon. As if in answer to his prayer, the next stinging lick ended with another broken switch in his father's hand.

_What the hell?_ Confusion was etched on the man's face as he ran his thumb over the broken end. Finding a strange anomaly he took a closer look at the remains of the switch before picking up the third one. Rolling the branch over in his hands he ran his fingers up and down it until he found a slight dip in the wood. Rubbing his thumbnail in the groove he dislodged some dirt and studied the nick.

"Stand up, Jasper." His voice was hard and cold sending a chill through his son. As Jasper turned around Monroe held the switch out for him to see. "Explain."

The boy swallowed hard as he glanced at the switch before turning his hurt puppy dog eyes on his father. "Explain what, Pa."

"Don't play dumb with me, boy."

"Ah'm not playin', Pa."

"Jasper Whitlock! Each lie makes matters worse for you."

Jasper sniffled as he tried to control his tears while he hung his head in shame. "Ah was afraid. Afraid that Ah wouldn't be able to take my lickin' and afraid of disappointin' you. Ah thought that if Ah could make 'em break quicker… Pa, Ah can't take the amount of licks that come before all three of 'em break. No matter how much it's deserved, Ah can't last. Ah don't wanna be weak, but Ah am." There was no point in trying to hide his traitorous tears any longer, so Jasper's grief and fear over took over his mind's attempt to be strong and the boy wept openly.

Monroe Whitlock crossed his arms as he watched his son break down. While his heart broke at the sight of his shaken boy, his expression remained impassive and stern. Grasping Jasper by the upper arm, he turned his son around and shoved him roughly back down over the stack of firewood as he reached out for the leather razor strop that hung on the wall.

"Ya wanna play games with me, boy? I'll be given you somethin' to cry about and by God, you will learn your lesson if it's the last thing you do."

Jasper howled as the leather strap viciously landed on his already battered behind. He tried to move away, but his father's calloused left hand held him down firmly while his right vigorously applied the strap.

"No, Pa. Stop. It hurts. Don't, please. Ah won't do it no mo'." Jasper cried out as he continued to struggle against the pressure on his back and the pain building across his posterior.

"You gonna be lyin' to me anymore, boy?"

"Nooooo. Ah swear."

"Ya gonna go to school like ya told to?"

"Yes, Pa. Ah'll go." Jasper twisted slightly trying to get away from the burning pain but the strap landed heavily on the backs of his thighs making him screech at the stinging blow.

"I'm not gonna have it, Jasper. I'll not be puttin' up with the lyin', stealin', runnin' away and all this deception. Am I gettin' that through that thick skull of yours?"

Jasper nodded his head as his tears choked off his voice.

"I expect better from you, boy. Ya best straighten your tail out and fly right or we'll be right back here again, 'cept I won't go so easy on you."

_Easy?_ His energy depleted from fighting against his father's hold on him, Jasper collapsed across the wood and laid still as his body shook with his sobs.

After several more strokes from the strop, the pressure from his father's hand on his back lightened and the barrage ceased.

Monroe patted his son's shoulder. "It's over, Jasper. I'm hopin' this is the last time we have to address this type of behavior in you. Keep your word, Son. You wanna be a man, well then a man makes good on his word. I wouldn't whip a man, but I will whip my boy if he needs it. Once you're done needin'; only then will ya know that you're finally a man."

Monroe allowed his son to cry himself out a bit more before pulling him up onto his feet. "Get yourself dressed and go wash your face then come back up to the house. You're excused from your chores this evening, but ya best be turnin' in early tonight. You'll be needin' your sleep so you can get your butt back to school tomorrow, even if ya might not be doin' any sittin' while you're there."

Giving the boy's shoulder a light squeeze and a final pat, Monroe left the shed as he returned to his home and the simple rhythm of his life, leaving Jasper to settle himself and recover from his punishment at his own pace.

* * *

Carlisle sighed inwardly as his eyes reflected the sadness that he felt for his son. "I'm sorry, Son."

"What in tarnation for?"

"For causing you to have to relive that painful memory."

Jasper snorted as a smile broke across his face. "It was really painful at the time, but that was a long time ago; the memory aint all that bad."

"Your father seems to have been much more aggressive than your behavior warranted."

"Papa, you know as well as anyone just how hard my head can be. Sometimes that is the only way of softening it up enough to allow for new ideas to get in. I had to learn to behave myself. It was fittin' for my Pa to whip me into shape or else I may have just ended up getting worse and worse. Who knows where I would have ended up? I wouldn't have been surprised if I ended up having trouble with the law, by the way I was going."

Jasper shook his head at the sad shocked look that still marred Carlisle's face. "I can't say that I wouldn't have preferred a get out of jail free card, but I also can't say that I didn't deserved to have my butt whooped good and that is exactly what I got." He tipped his head a bit to the side as he grinned at Carlisle. "I got a whipping that I never forgot so my Pa accomplished what he set out to do. He made a lasting impression on me when it comes to knowing right from wrong. In the long run it made me a better man, Papa and I have no regret over what happened nor do I bear any animosity towards my Pa. None of us are born perfect. We just have our mistakes to learn from. We need someone to point them out to us from time to time so we grow up right."

"Once everything was said and done, did you feel forgiven by your father?"

"You mean since I wasn't comforted after," Jasper smirked. "Yes, I knew that I had paid for my stupidity and the slate was clear. My Pa wasn't much of a cuddling man. He figured that we knew he loved us so he didn't worry much about expressing it."

"Hmm."

"Everyone has their own ways of expressing their love."

Carlisle sighed softly as he silently agreed. As long as Jasper had felt loved by his father,it wasn't his place to disagree. Thinking back to the first few times he had found the need to correct Jasper, Carlisle recalled how the boy would stiffen up in his arms when he tried to comfort him. The patriarch had always thought the reason for that response stemmed from his violent introduction into the vampire life, but learning that his son retained human childhood memories gave the doctor more to consider. He found himself extremely grateful that Jasper had come to not only accept his comfort but now the boy actually expected it and sought it out. That simple ritual meant a great deal to Carlisle. It was a way of finding peace with himself as well as a method of reassuring his errant children of his unfailing love. What would he have done if Jasper had continued to block him out? The very idea was enough to chill his soul.

Jasper cleared his throat drawing his father's attention back from the depths of his mind. "So do you feel just a bit better about yourself now, Papa? Have I managed to at least somewhat alleviate your worries about being too hard on me?"

Carlisle's soft golden gaze studied his son for a few moments before he glanced away.

"Really? Aw, come on, Carlisle." With a slight wince, Jasper sat up on the side of his bed and placed his hand on his father's shoulder. "Carlisle. Papa. Please look at me." Once the elder complied Jasper gave him a gentle smile. "I'm going to be straight with you. That hand of yours aint nothing to sneeze at, but it's hardly the worse thing in the world.

Yeah, when I screw up I do get a little twinge of something like fear, but seriously who wouldn't? Punishment, regardless of what form it takes, isn't something anyone looks forward to. If it was, then you would know that there was something seriously wrong with one of us."

Carlisle glanced away again as a light smile crossed his face.

Jasper let out a quiet groan and rubbed his eyes while a smirked curled his lips. "Hey now, what happens between mates is something completely different and you know it. That aint punishment, regardless of what it sounds like." The solider rubbed the back of his neck as he suddenly found himself in an uncomfortably awkward situation. "Sorry if we were a bit too loud the other night, but hey, it don't compare to Emmett and Rose when they get ta goin'."

"I agree, what happens between mates is completely different. Play is one thing; punishment is another." Carlisle nodded slightly and allowed the subject to drop in an effort to save his son from further embarrassment.

"Anyway… as I was trying to say, as formidable as your hand is, I have suffered through worse when you compare the incidents side by side. While I really do appreciate your concern, Papa, you have absolutely nothing to worry about. As long as I know what I did wrong, which you do an excellent job of letting me know, the chances of me withdrawing because I was punished are so remote it's not even worth mentioning."

Carlisle sat quietly for several minutes apparently deep in thought while his son waited patiently for a response. Softly releasing a held breath, the elder blonde spoke quietly, "There was something in your father's words that I found disturbing."

Jasper chuckled even though Carlisle's expression was serious. "Now why does that not surprise me? What in all of it disturbed you, Papa?"

Carlisle shifted in his chair and rubbed his forehead as he sighed. When he let his hand fall away Jasper noticed that his father's eyes were several shades darker; not quite black yet but a deep burnt brown showing his growing distress.

"When he said that he wouldn't whip a man …." Carlisle closed his eyes and turned his head slightly away from his son. "You say that he told you that you would be a man when you didn't need to be punished any longer."

Jasper cocked a brow as he watched his father growing more and more uneasy before his eyes. "That's right, but what of it?"

A muscle in Carlisle's jaw twitched as he clenched his teeth. Opening his eyes he met his son's bright amber gaze.

"Jasper, you do realize that I know you are a man. I'm sorry if you ever feel that I discredit that fact with the way I …."

The tension in the younger man's face melted away. His eyes twinkled with amusement as he smiled warmly at his father. Laughing, he placed a hand on the senior Cullen's arm and ducked his head slightly to meet his father's worried eyes. "That's what all this anxiety is about? You worry that I believe you see me as the child I was back then?"

"I don't want you to ever feel belittled or that I don't respect you as the man that I know you to be."

"Oh dear God, Carlisle! When have you ever belittled me?" Jasper shook his head in utter disbelief. "Have you made me feel like a child? Yes. Yes, you have, but that was when I was being childish. No one, least of all me, can blame you for that."

"But, Jasper…." In a blink, Carlisle found himself yanked up out of his seat and onto his feet before being wrapped tightly in his son's arms. "Well, this is different," he muttered quietly.

Jasper snickered. "Shoe is on the other foot for a change, huh?" The boy hugged his father until he felt the man begin to relax ever so slightly and return his hug while sighing softly. Releasing his hold, Jasper pushed Carlisle back to arm's length with his hands resting lightly on the older man's shoulders. "Now, old man, you are going to listen to me, and listen up good. I want you to stop worrying so dang much. We both understand that you have to keep me in line; hell, you have to keep every one of us in line and that's no short order.

Sure we may bitch and moan while trying to get ourselves out of whatever mess we landed in, but I know that I at least speak for Alice and myself when I say that we will never hold that against you. I seriously doubt that anyone else would either.

Old man, you are our leader. You hold this coven, this family, together; both you and Esme. Everything you do, including busting my tail, is for the betterment of this family and all of its members so don't be second guessing yourself so much. Each and every one of us has already put their trust in you. Now, it's time for you to trust yourself."

Jasper stared into his father's eyes as he gave a single nod.

Carlisle blinked several times as he slowly recovered from the dressing down he had just received from his son. Drawing a breath he narrowed his eyes. "Old man?"

Jasper quickly removed his hands from his father's shoulders and held them up in the air in a moment of surrender.

"Old man?" Carlisle took a step towards Jasper which the boy mirrored by taking a step back.

"You are older than me, Papa. Besides, I didn't think going the young man route was quite appropriate."

Carlisle cocked his head to the side. "And you think calling your father an old man was appropriate?" He took another step towards Jasper as he unbuttoned the cuff of his shirt and began to roll up his right sleeve.

Jasper took another step back as he shook his head. "Now that you put it in those words, probably not."

"Probably not?" The patriarch raised a brow as he advanced once again.

"Definitely not." Jasper retreated another step only to feel the bed hit him behind the knees causing him to fall on top of it. Hissing at the sudden contact to his rear end, he quickly recovered and rolled across the mattress, dropping to his feet on the other side.

"Come here, Jasper," Carlisle called softly as he crooked a finger at the boy.

"Ah respectfully decline that invitation, Sah."

"Jasper, your father has made a request of you. As an obedient son, you have to respond." Carlisle circled towards the foot of the bed effectively blocking his son between the bed and the wall. "Now, be a good lad and come here."

"Umm." Jasper kept his back towards the wall as his father slowly moved closer.

"Jasper."

The boy's wide dark golden eyes locked on his father's noting a spark of mischief in their pale topaz depths.

"Come here, Son. It's for your own good."

"Ah'm sorry, Papa, but Ah hafta disagree." In a flash, Jasper skidded across the bed and was out the door racing down the stairs towards the protection of his mate and siblings.

Carlisle sat down on the bed and rolled with laughter. "Well that's one way to get him to join in family game night."

The elder inhaled deeply, held the breath for a few seconds then steadily exhaled as he allowed his son's words to echo in his head. Jasper was right, as usual. Carlisle's family did show complete faith in him and it was beyond time for him to acknowledge that same faith in himself.

Unlike so many covens, his clan was not held together by fear or manipulation, but by a much stronger force; love. His love for his family is what brought them together. That love returned from his mate and their children is what kept them strong. Their faith in him was born of this love and who was he to disagree?

"Emmett, my sweet love, why in the hell is that elk driving a steam roller drunk?" Rosalie's lyrical voice rang out from downstairs.

"It's not an elk and he's not driving anything drunk."

"Well, he sure as hell aint doin' it sober," Jasper's southern drawl sounded in his father's ears bringing a smile to Carlisle's face.

_I think I might just have to join the game after all since I'm the only one who can figure out that boy's art__._

Carlisle smiled as he got to his feet and rolled his sleeve back down. Buttoning his cuff, he headed out the room to enjoy some bonding time and create some lasting memories with the six people in this world that he loved most; his family.

_**FINI**_

* * *

**AN:** Monroe got a little bit too severe for Carlisle's taste when dealing with a little fragile human child, but everything worked out alright in the end and Jasper is in good shape. Considering that Jasper is fighting so hard to protect little Amanda in Dark Justice, we know that he didn't fall into that circle of abuse trap that so many do. Yet another reason that I don't feel like he was abused as a child. ;-)

Thank y'all for the reviews, adds, favorites and all that awesomeness. Not sure that I would tackle something like this again, though I do feel like I owe Jasper a story from Carlisle's past dealing with mischief that Daddy Vamp feels he was rightfully punished for. That will take a good bit a thought. Jasper's drawl though damn near killed me. I also need to apologize to my friends in Texas for butchering the accent. I'm the cousin from Louisiana so I have no room to talk.

Special thanks to Jasper1863Hale for the request and inspiration. Of course, also special thanks to Splinter for proofing this bit of silliness and putting up with/over looking all the intentional misspellings and mistakes. I know that had to make her eyes bleed more than once.


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